Memorandum-pad stand and pad sheets



G. W. SMITH.

MEMORANDUM PAD STAND AND PAD SHEETS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT.13, 1920.

1,422,4 9,, Patented JuIy n, 1922.

STATES GEORGE w: sivrrrn, on cmcneo, ILLINOIS.

MEMORANDUM-PAD STAND AND PAD SHEETS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 1922.

Application filed September 13, 1920. Serial 110.40.),972.

T0 all/whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I G'nonen W.v SMITH, a citizen of the United tates,residing at Chicage, Cook County, Illinois, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Memorandum-Pad Stands and Pad Sheets,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to stands for. holding memorandum pads such asso-called calendar pads useful for easy reference upon a business mansdesk, and also to sheets for such pads.

Its chief object is to provide a neat, simple and relatively cheapdevice according to which the pad sheets may be easily. and conveniently applied, removed, and turned from time to time. A specificobject is .to provide a simple, light-weight, strong, durable andattractive form ofgpad holder or stand. Another is to provide means forholding upon the base strongly and firmly the holding elements whichretain the sheets in their operative relative positions. Still anotheris to improve the construction of the pad sheet with respect to themeans-:for holding the same upon the device. Other objects andadvantages will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, which form apart ofthis specification,Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view on line 1-1 of Fig.2; Fig. 2'is atop plain of the device of Fig. 1 ,Fig. 3 is a perspectiveof the spring member for holding the pad sheets upon the base; Fig. 4:is a fragmentary sectional detail; of the base, and spring membershowing the parts inholding position; Fig. 5 is a view .o'fthe fragmentsof Fig. 4 viewed in thedirection of the arrow 5; Fig. 6 is a perspectiveof a modified form of catch device for the pad sheet holders; Fig. 7 isa fragmentary section similar to Fig. 4. showing the modified catchdevice in operative position; Fig. 8 is a fragmentary transverse sectionshowing the holding device of Fig. 6 in its operative position; and Fig.9 is an enlarged fragment of one of the pad sheets showing my improvedform of locking aperture therein.

The stand portion of my improved de vice is formed from a sheet of thinmaterial,

, such as iron or brass of say eighteen-gauge stock, but it may be-ofother materials and thickness, but is preferably of metal, It includesan oblong base 10 having relatively low integral sides 11 which extendsubstantially from end to end of the base, the sldes 11 having integralenlargements or normally upward extensions 12 substantially midwaybetween the ends of the base. From the base 10 a pair of legs 13,integral with thebase, extend downward side by side, and are beyond themiddle of the base in one of the longitudinal directions whereby thebase has an upward slant tofthe rear. Each leg 18 preferably has a pieceof rubber tubing 14 slipped upon its outturned foot to prevent marringthe top surface of the desk.

The sides 11 and the medial extensions 12 form guards for holding thepad of sheets against material lateral movement. The extensions 12furthermore act as protective means for the sheet-holding spring memberswhereby in picking up the pad device as a whole the thumb and forefingerof the user will come upon the extensions 12 and not upon the sheetholders, the latter therefore being saved from undue strain tending toget them out of alignment or possibly disconnecting them from the base.7 The extensions 12 furthermore constitute finger grasp members wherebythe handling of the device as a whole for the installation and removalof a pad of sheets or in turning or swinging the sheets from one endportion of the base to the other isgreatly facilitated.

The integral stand device as illustrated and thus far described is oflight weight, strong' and rigid, forms substantially a close-fittingpocket forv the pad sheets lying on opposite end portions thereof,occupies but very little more space than that of the pad itself whennormally being used, has a convenient tilt or slant for. reference,either in examination of data on the pad sheets or for writing uponthesheets, and includes in a small, neat and compact arrangement thevarious desirable features and advantages indicated hereinabove.

The base 10, in the preferred construetion is provided with two pairs oflongitudinally oppositely disposed lugs or projections 16 16 and 17 47,each of these lugs or projections being stamped upward from the materialof the base 10, and the lugs of each pair having their free endsdirected inwardly, meaning toward the middle of the base, and thereforetoward each other. Each lug 16-16 and 17 17 is also formed to provide aslanting surface, as shown at 16 (Fig. 4) which slanting surface isdirected upwardly and inwardly from the base.

The holding member 20 for the pad sheets is substantially U-shaped whenin its operative position as shown in F ig, 1, the same preferably beingformed of strip material, and of spring steel, and is so formed that thelegs thereof flare apart when unrestrained, as shown by Fig. The freeends of these legs at 21 are cut straight across so as to rest firmlywith a good support upon the Hat top surface of the base 10 atthe lu s16 and '17 respectively, as well seen in ig. 5, the material width ofthe spring member 20 providing a good foundation for maintaining thesespring members against lateral movement when operatively held upon thebase.

The free ends of the two members 20 are also provided respectively witha hole through which the projections 16 and 17 respectively extend, aswell seen in Fig. 4, and the arrangement of the holes 23 is such that,the metal at the bottom of each hole 23 comes into contact with theslanting surfaces mentioned, as shown at 16? ofthe lug 16 (Fig. 4), thespring pressure of each holding member 20 tending to force the legsthereof apart, a wedging action thus taking place which binds the bottomof the member 20'firmly upon the base 10, as will readily be seen fromFig. 4. The result is that the sheet-holding members 20 are not onlylocked upon the base against removal therefrom (except by pressing thelegs of the spring members closer together respectively and withdrawingthe legs from locking engagement) but these sheet-holding members areheld quite stably and firmly upon the base, and the pad held by the twospring members is thereby unusually strongly and firmly maintainedagainst lateral: movements, and, furthermore, the

device as a whole with the pad in operative position, unusual solidityand rigidity oil elements rendering it highly satisfactory in service,easily to be handled, as in turning the sheets from end-to end of thebase, and in saving the sheets against being torn.

. According to Figs, 6, 7 and 8 the looking member 24 (of which two areemployed) has the projecting lugs 25 substantially at right angles toand integral with the body portion 26, the whole being stamped out andformed from sheet metal of say number eighteen gauge, but the thickness,width, etc., of the material may be varied. These lugs 25 have shortextensions respectively having slanting. surfaces at 27 similar to theslanting surface 16 of Fig. 4. The base 10 in this instance is providedwith four apertures located ,in the positions of the lugs 16-16 and 1717of Fig. 2, one of these apertures 28 being shownin Fig. 7 and 5 two ofthem necessary for one unit 24 being shown in Fig. 8, The apertures 28have only such width in the transverse directions that the projections25 may pass upwardthrough them with a substantially tight fit, as wellto be seen in Fig. 8, the locking device 24 being thereby heldsufliciently firmly upon the base 10. In operation the locking members20 coact with the lugs 25 the same as with the lugs 16 and 17 of thepreferred form. An advantage of the modified construction shown in Figs.6, 7 and 8 is in thefact that there are no projecting lugs as 16 and 17upon the base 10 likely'to catch in the buffing wheel when the device isbeing polished and to become broken off thereby, the two locking members24 being applied to the base after the buffing is done. i

My improved pad sheet 30 adapted for use in the deviceillustrated issimilar in general respects to the sheet ordinarily employed, but'it isprovided with a pair of holes of unusual construction adaptedto receivethe locking members 20. Ordinarily these holes have been made slot-likeand of the same width from one end to the other. In such-case unless theuser exercises considerable care when swinging the sheets from one endto the other of the stand the "paper tears at the ends of the slots andthe sheets become loosened from the device. I have discovered that if anenlargement of the slot, referably circular, be made at one end o theslot, referably the outer end, (meaning in a clrection toward a sideedge of the sheet), the sheet may be swung on the holding members 20with marked ease and facility, the sheets having opportunity forconsiderable lateral play during the operation, and that owing to thecontinuity of the curved edge at the end of the hole there is no pointat which the paper around the hole will readily start to tear,Accordinglymy improved sheet contains a pair of slot-like apertures 31substantially in line with each other, each slot terminating in anenlarged circu' lar opening 32,'the entire opening having much theappearance of the. key-hole of a lock of awell-known type. It is to beunderstood that all Of the sheets 30 .shown in Figs, 1 and 2 are punchedas indicated in Fig. 9, the circular enlargements 32 being adjacent" tothe lateral edges respecterial and the legs-thereof being adapted tospring apartfrom their normal operative relative positions, the freeends of the spring member being formed to rest firmly upon spring memberbeing formed of strip material and the legs thereof being adapted tospring apart from their normal operative relative positions, the freeends of the spring being formed to rest firmly upon the base, each endportion of the spring member having a locking aperture, and a pair ofspacedapart locking projections carried by the base, the projectionsbeing adapted to enter said apertures respectively when the spring legsare forced toward each other slightly beyond their normal operativerelative positions, each of said projections having an inclined surfaceadapted to draw the legs respectively into firm contact with the basethrough the spring action of said spring member.

3. In a memorandum pad stand, the combination of a base, apair ofsubstantially U-shaped spring members for holding pad leaves, the springmembers being formed of strip material and the legs thereof beingadapted to spring apart from their normal operative relative positions,the free ends of the spring members being formed to rest firmly upon thebase to provide a stable support, each end portion of the spring membershaving a locking aperture, a plurality of locking projections extendingnormally upward through suitable holes in the base,

said projections being adapted to enter the apertures respectively ofthe spring members, and means for holding the locking projections intheir respective operative positions.

4. A memorandumpad sheet having a pair of spaced-apart holes eachadapted to receive loosely a sheet-holding member in strip form having awidth substantially the length of the hole in the sheet, said holesbeing relatively long and narrow throughout a considerable portion oftheir extent with their longitudinal axes in line with each other, thelong and narrow portion of each hole terminating in an enlarged portionat one end only thereof.

5. A memorandum pad sheet having a pair of spaced-apart holes eachadapted to receive loosely a sheet-holding member in strip form, saidholes being relatively long and narrow throughout a considerable portionof their extent with their longitudinal axes in line with each other,the long and narrow portion of each hole terminating in an enlargedportion, at the outer extremity of the relatively long and narrowportion of each hole, the inner extremitythereof being relativelynarrow.

6. A memorandum pad stand of sheet material comprising an oblong basehaving relatively narrow normally upwardly extending integral sidesthroughout the greater part thereof, each of said sides having anintegral upward extension substantially midway between the ends of thebase, the base having pairs of lugs upstanding therefrom for holding apair of spring members for holding pad leaves, the base having a pair oflegs integral therewith and partially cut out therefrom, both of saidlegs being side by side beyond the middle of the base in itslongitudinal direction to give the base an upward slant toward one end.

7. A locking member for the substantially U-shaped pad-holding spring ofa pad stand of the character described comprising a substantiallystraight metallic body member having a pair of spaced-apart lugsupstanding therefrom substantially at right angles to the body memberand adapted to pass throughsuitable apertures in the base of the padstand, the free end of each of said lugs being formed as a shortextension having a slanting surface and adapted to enter a hole in thepad-holding spring for-holding it 011 the base. V

8. In a pad stand of the character described having a base with aplurality of holes therein for locking projections and a substantiallyU-shaped pad-holding spring adapted to be held on the base by suchlocking projections, the combination therewith of a plurality of lockingprojections extendingthrough said holes from the normally lower surfacethereof, and means for holding said projections in operative position onsaid base.

GEORGE W. SMITH.

